Method and apparatus for wireless networking

Abstract

A method and apparatus for wireless networking employs a wireless protocol module and a wireless interface module for controlling a remote terminal unit, whereby the modules integrate the remote terminal unit software and wireless networking application software.

1 - 7 . (canceled)  
   
   
       8 . A method of creating a wireless network infrastructure between a plurality of remote terminals within wireless communication range of one another, comprising: 
 discovering wirelessly whether individual ones of the plurality of remote terminals have active communication nodes; and    creating wireless communication links with only those individual ones of the plurality of remote terminals having active communication nodes.    
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said step of discovering includes: 
 periodically polling, over exponentially increasing periods of time, the plurality of remote terminals to discover wirelessly whether individual ones of the plurality of remote terminals previously not having active communication nodes now have active communication nodes.    
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 creating other wireless communication links with those individual ones of the plurality of remote terminals now having active communication nodes.    
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 requesting permission from an individual one of the remote terminals having a discovered active node permission to transmit at least one data packet of input information;    sending the at least one data packet of input information to the discovered active node; and    releasing said individual one of the remote terminals having a discovered active node to request permission from another individual one of the remote terminals having another discovered active node permission to transmit at least one data packet of input information.    
   
   
       12 . A wireless communication system for controlling the allocation of a fixed payload bandwidth between a plurality of remote communication nodes, comprising: 
 a wireless protocol module for discovering wirelessly whether individual ones of the plurality of remote communications nodes are in an active state and for creating wireless communication links with only those individual ones of the plurality of remote communication nodes having said active state; and    said remote communication nodes not having an active state being periodically polled to discover wirelessly whether individual ones of the plurality of remote communication nodes not previously being in said active state have switched to said active state.    
   
   
       13 . In a wireless communication system according to  claim 12 , wherein the time period between an individual one of said remote communications nodes being polled increases exponentially in response to a determination that the remote communication node is not in said active state.